Improvement in air-ejectors



V referred to, and the gas and air nozzles.

UNITED STATES JOHN Y. SMITH, OF PITISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN AlR-EJECTORS.

Specification forming part of letters Patent No. 136,779, dated March1], 1873.

1T0 all whomct may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Y. SMITH, residing at Pittsburg, in the countyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Air-Ejectors, &c., of which the following is aspecification:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved ejector, showing the case of thesame, the chamber for containing powder or fuse, a spring for holdingthe chamber in position, and a hammer for exploding caps. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section, showing the parts above Fig. 3 is a transversesection, showing the air-induction nozzle.

Corresponding letters refer to corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention relates to that class of instruments which are used forthe purpose of producing a vacuum in pipes and vessels, it beingdesigned more particularly for use in connection with devices forapplying brakes to railroad cars; and it consists in such an arrangementof its parts that the force of burning powder or of a fuse may be usedfor creatin g a vacuum in such pipes or vessels, and in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of the parts of which it iscomposed, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

In constructing ejectorsof this type, Iuse a case or shell, A, which maybe made of cast or of sheet'metal, and of any length and diameter,according to circumstances, its body being cylindrical in form, asshown, while upon its outer end there may be formed a funnel, as shown,or this projection may be of any other form that will keep the wind orcurrents of air from blowing across the outer end of thedischarge-nozzle. Upon the inner end of this case there is placed acollar, A, which closes its end with the exception of a small aperture,a, which is left open for a purpose soon to be described. Within thecase A there is placed a gas-discharge nozzle, B,

it being secured to the interior surface of the inner end thereof, andtapering gradually from that point to near the outer end of the cylin-'drioal portion where it terminates. The outer end of this nozzle beingsmaller than the case leaves a space or chamber between the two, intowhich the air to be exhausted is drawn through the pipe B by the gaswhich passes through the nozzle B. Just outside or forwai d of theair-induction pipe 13, and upon the inside of case A, there is placed aconical nozzle, (J, the reduced aperture in the outer end of which is ina line with the outer end of the nozzle B, the object being to cause thejet of gas, as it passes through the instrument, to carry with it anyair which there maybe in the chamber D and the pipes and vesselsconnected with it, the conical nozzle 0 serving to contract the volumeof gas and air, so as with aid of the pressure of the gas to give themthe required velocity. To the rear end of case A there is attached adisk, E, which is placed eccentrically to the end of said case, and isallowed to turn upon a bolt, E, by which it is held in position withreference to said case; a flange which is also attached to the case aidsin holding it, and serves as a case for it to revolve in. To the outersurface of the disk E there is attached a series of tubes, F, which areso placed that, when the disk is in the position shown in Fig. 2, one ofthem will register with the aperture (1 in the cap on the inner end ofcase A, and as the disk is revolved the next in succession will bebrought into the same position, and so on until the whole series arebrought to register with the apertures a, above referred to. Upon theouter ends of the tubes F there is placed a cap, which closes them whiletheir inner ends are left open. Each one of these tubes near its innerend is supplied with an ordinary cap-nipple, or with other suitablemeans for holding a fulminate, which shall be made to ignite the powderor fuse which is placed in the tubes.

In order that the cap or fulminate may be exploded at any time that maybe desired a hammer, G, is pivoted to the case A, and has a cord or rodattached to it, so that it may be drawn up and a spring, H, under itsrear end be compressed so that when the cord or rod is released thehammer shall be forced down upon the cap or fulminate with sufiicientforce to explode the same, and thus ignite the material within the tube.

The object sought to be accomplished by this device will be obtained byusing a slowburning powder in the tubes; but a preferable materialconsists of a fuse, which may be made hollow and inserted into thetubes, it being so composed as to burn with such a degree of rapidity asshall be found necessary, and for such a length of time as shall benecessary to exhaust the air from the pipes or vessels with which theejector may be connected.

The operation of this device will be as follows: The instrument havingbeen constructed substantially as shown and described, it is to beplaced in any suitable position, and a connection made between its pipeB and the pipes or vessels to be emptied, when, by

turning the disk E, the tubes of which have previously been filled withthe proper material so that' the aperture in the front end of one ofthem shall register with the aperture. a in the case, and then pullingupon the cord or rod attached to the hammer until it has been raised tothe proper height, and then relinquishing the hold thereof, allowing itto be forced down upon the cap or fulminate, such cap or fulminate willbe exploded, and the material in the tube will be ignited, the gas fromwhich will pass through the aperture a into the nozzle B, and outthrough its contracted end with such rapidity as to exhaust the air fromchamber D, when, as a matter of course, the air in the pipe B, and

any pipes or vessels with which it may be connected, will be exhausted,the commingled jets of air and gas passing out through the conicalnozzle 0.

Having thus described my invention, what.

I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An air-ejector, combining in its construction a case for holding theparts in position, and for forming the outer shell of a vacuumchamber, anozzle for the passage of the gas, and one for the passage of themingled currents of air and gas, a chamber or chambers for containingthe material to be burned, and suitable mechanism for exploding a cap orfulminate, the parts being arranged substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. The disk E and tubes F, when combined with the case of anair-ejector, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN Y. SMITH.

Witnesses:

D. P. HOLLOWAY, W. BRADFORD.

